Debates of Dec. 8th, 2021

Criminal Code

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Pursuant to order made Thursday, November 25, the House will now resolve itself into committee of the whole to study all votes in the supplementary estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022.

I do now leave the chair for the House to go into committee of the whole.

(Consideration resumed from December 7 in committee of the whole of all votes in the supplementary estimates (B), Mr. Chris d'Entremont in the chair)

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Today's debate is a general one on all votes tabled before the House on Friday, November 26. Pursuant to order made Thursday, November 25, the committee will now resume the debate.

Pursuant to order made on Thursday, November 25, each member will be allocated 15 minutes at a time, which may be used both for debate and for posing questions. Members wishing to use this time to make a speech have a maximum of 10 minutes, which leaves at least five minutes for questions to the minister. When a member is recognized, he or she should indicate to the Chair how the 15-minute period will be used, meaning how much time will be spent on the speech and how much time will be used for questions and answers.

Also, pursuant to order made Tuesday, December 7, members who wish to share their time with another member shall indicate this to the Chair. When the time is to be used for questions and comments, the Chair will expect the minister's response to reflect approximately the time taken by the question, since this time will be counted in the time originally allotted to the members.

Pursuant to order made Tuesday, December 7, the time provided for the debate tonight may be extended beyond four hours, as needed, to include a minimum of 16 periods of 15 minutes each, and no quorum calls, dilatory motions or requests for unanimous consent shall be entertained.

I also wish to indicate that in committee of the whole, comments should be addressed to the Chair. I ask for everyone's co-operation in upholding all established standards of decorum, parliamentary language and behaviour.

We will now begin tonight's session.

The House in committee of the whole, pursuant to order made Thursday, November 25, consideration in committee of the whole of all votes in the supplementary estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022.

The hon. member for Alfred-Pellan.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Chair, today I am pleased to talk about the supplementary estimates (B) for 2021-22. I want to start by saying that I am a big believer in the principle of transparency.

Canadians and the parliamentarians who represent them have the right to know how the government intends to spend public funds and to hold the government accountable for its actions. Our government takes that responsibility very seriously. That is why this conversation about the estimates is so important, especially as we are emerging from the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Today I am happy to have the opportunity to talk to the committee of the whole about the supplementary estimates (B) for 2021-22. As hon. members know, every year the government tables up to three supplementary estimates detailing proposed spending in addition to the main estimates.

On November 26, the President of the Treasury Board of Canada tabled the supplementary estimates (B) in the House of Commons. The budget includes a summary of the government's incremental funding requirements and an overview of the major funding requests and horizontal initiatives.

These supplementary estimates seek a total of $8.7 billion in voted budgetary expenditures. For information purposes, these estimates also include $4.7 billion in budgetary statutory expenditures, mainly due to the extension of the Canada recovery benefit and the forecasted requirements for the Canada recovery caregiving benefit and the Canada recovery sickness benefit.

That said, I would like to provide my hon. colleagues with a breakdown of some of the more significant expenditures. Over the past year, many Canadians have had to deal with the hard truth of our country's historical treatment of indigenous peoples. This has been a year of listening and soul-searching. It has also been a year in which indigenous voices have been louder than ever, and our government is listening to them.

That is why these supplementary estimates (B) provide a total of $1 billion for the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and $2.1 billion for the Department of Indigenous Services. This includes $725.2 million for critical infrastructure such as housing, schools, health facilities, water and wastewater. This funding will also support the transfer of infrastructure to indigenous-led organizations and fund the operation and maintenance of indigenous-owned infrastructure. This amount also includes $412.2 million for the specific claims settlement fund. As my colleagues know, these are claims by a first nation against the federal government which relate to the administration of land or other first nation assets and to the fulfillment of historic treaties or other agreements. The settlement fund is used to provide compensation to first nations in accordance with negotiated agreements. Finally, we have allocated $361.3 million for prevention and protection services to support the safety and well-being of first nations children and families living on reserve.

The COVID-19 recession is the steepest and fastest economic contraction Canada has seen since the Great Depression, and it has had major repercussions on Canadians across the country. Nevertheless, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. More than 85% of Canadians age 12 and up are now fully vaccinated. Businesses are reopening and travel has resumed across the country. What is more, we have now started to vaccinate children between the ages of five and 11.

Important programs like the Canada emergency response benefit, which helped millions of Canadians during the toughest days of the pandemic, were only possible because of the hard work and dedication of our public servants.

The government appreciates its public servants and has the greatest respect for its obligations to them. That is why these supplementary estimates include $1.5 billion for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat for the salary adjustments included in the recently negotiated collective agreements, as well as for changes to the terms and conditions of employment.

Among the other funds set out in these supplementary estimates, I would like to mention the $375 million for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development for COVID‑19 vaccines, treatments and diagnostic products for developing countries; the $327.7 million for the Department of National Defence to fund the pay increases in the Canadian Armed Forces; and the $253.4 million for the Department of National Defence and the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Heyder and Beattie class action settlements.

These estimates reflect our government's continuing commitment to get better results for all Canadians, including those who live in indigenous communities, and to continue to contribute to the global COVID‑19 pandemic response effort.

I want to be clear. The estimates process is guided by the principles of transparency, openness and accountability.

We have taken several measures to ensure transparency. For example, departments regularly account for their expenditures through quarterly financial reports, and the Department of Finance provides monthly financial updates on the government in the “Fiscal Monitor”.

Furthermore, in light of the extraordinary circumstances and the extent of pandemic-related spending, the government provides additional reports. This includes the spending authorities associated with the government's response to the global COVID‑19 pandemic in the supplementary estimates, as well as the spending authorities and expenses for each of the COVID‑19 pandemic measures, through the Government of Canada's InfoBase and open government portal.

These reporting tools make it easy for Canadians to see the spending authorized by Parliament and the money spent by the government on its pandemic response.

We also release a reconciliation between these two estimates documents to provide greater clarity on the relationship between the figures therein.

Hon. colleagues, these supplementary estimates provide for essential investments to build an economy that works for everyone, fight climate change, continue on the road to reconciliation, and ensure that our communities are safe, healthy and inclusive.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Questions and comments, the hon. member for Alfred-Pellan.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Chair, it is a privilege to rise today to participate in this committee of the whole. I want to start by thanking the hon. ministers for being here this evening, and for outlining some of steps that our government has taken to protect the health and safety of Canadians as well as to support our critical industries.

My questions this evening will be for the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance. I would like to ask him a question about tourism businesses in my riding of Alfred-Pellan.

Tourism businesses in my riding, just as in many others, have suffered greatly from the pandemic. Fairs, carnivals, music festivals and community events have all been cancelled due to COVID-19. As we can all agree, COVID-19 has been incredibly difficult for tourism businesses and especially for their workers.

Can the minister expand on how our government intends to continue to support the tourism businesses that have been greatly impacted? What is the recovery plan?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Chair, I think we should note that the recovery is under way. It is strong, but, as my colleague from Alfred-Pellan knows, it is uneven.

As he mentioned, I am referring specifically to people in the cultural industry: technicians, actors, comedians, camera operators, musicians, directors and all those behind the scenes who reflect the best of who we are as human beings.

As a government, we must be there for the workers and businesses in the cultural sector. During the election campaign, we clearly indicated that we would be there for them, and that is exactly what we will do.

Just to be clear about the work done and the commitment we have to the cultural sector coming out of this pandemic, we made sure that $200 million was provided to festivals, $300 million was provided in a recovery fund for culture, sports and the arts, another $200 million was provided for large festivals, and a $500 million emergency fund was established for the cultural sector. There is more to come.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Chair, the CEWS has supported hundreds of businesses in my riding and in many others. I heard the Minister of Health referring to vaccines. These are of such critical importance to ending the pandemic and allowing the tourism sector to get back to work.

I am double vaccinated and I am proud of it. Today, at five o'clock, my eight-year-old son received his first vaccine shot. Hello Gabriel.

I carry around my proof of vaccination to show all the businesses in Alfred—Pellan, and here in Ottawa, that I have indeed done my part. I know not everyone in this place is able or willing to do the same, and I will take this moment to say how disappointing that is.

I would like to give the minister an opportunity to expand on his point about vaccination, and what our government is doing to help businesses, as well as provincial and territorial partners delivering vaccines. Can he provide Canadians with the assurance that they are safe to visit local attractions?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Chair, first, I would like to congratulate the son of the member for Alfred-Pellan. I am very proud of him, and I am certain that he was very good about it and that he set an example for many others in Canada, perhaps even here in the House of Commons.

Let us talk about Canada: 80% of the population has received at least one dose, 76% has received two doses. There are probably people in the House who have not yet received one of the 62 million vaccine doses administered since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Chair, every year on November 8 we pay tribute to indigenous veterans who served in missions across Canada and around the world, in times of war, conflict and peace.

I would like to ask the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations what measures are in place to commemorate their sacrifices? How does this government ensure that indigenous veterans have access to culturally appropriate support?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Chair, the answer is all the more important because the indigenous people who served our country were not served by our country when they returned.

November 8 is a special date to honour the sacrifices they made. This date is twinned with November 11. Any support for indigenous peoples obviously requires culturally appropriate support, which we provide.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, my question is for the minister of middle class prosperity, who is a member of Parliament here in Ottawa.

What is the average cost of a home in the city of Ottawa?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Chair, my title is Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance. I am sure my hon. colleague across the way knows that.

Let me say 156,000 jobs.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, maybe the President of the Treasury Board can help by telling us the average cost of a house in the nation's capital.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, I want to say 106% of jobs have been recovered since the lowest point of the pandemic.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, what is the average increase in house prices since the government took office in 2015?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, Canada's economy contracted by 17% between February and April 2020, the largest and most sudden contraction in real GDP since the Great Depression, and we are already back.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, I asked for just the average house price.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, 5.5 million Canadians lost their jobs and they are all back.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, what would they pay for the average house?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, in 2020, the unemployment rate more than doubled from a pre-pandemic level of 5.7% to a record of 13.7%. It is 6% now.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think there is a problem with the audio in the chamber. The question was, what is the average cost of a house in Canada today?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, our government has made historic investments in housing affordability and we will continue to do so.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, how affordable are such houses?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, our government has made historic investments in housing. We will continue to do so, so that housing is affordable for all Canadians.